The human temple is a
marvelous, living machine.
The human mind is a
powerhouse of potential.
But, it is scary to see the
place where an undisciplined
mind or life will finish its
train wreck. The potential
for greatness has a perfect
balance in its capacity for
disaster. All of these
possibilities of living are
decided in the conference
center of the human will.
The great capacity of the
human brain is at the choice
of our will. You can use
your mind if you will and,
once the will is set, the
die is cast.
A sharp shooter is the
result of a disciplined
will. This individual has
set their mind to train and
harness themselves until
shooting is more instinct
than aim. The entire human
body becomes tuned into the
process. It’s a matter of
disciplining the total
person for the mastery of
that skill. This is equally
true of the world of art,
the world of communication,
the skills of a great
physician, or a master
athlete. There is no
possibility of greatness
until there is the presence
of discipline. The human
will must be harnessed and
set for the dream.
God’s kingdom needs men and
women that will discipline
themselves to Christ with
the same abandonment we see
given to worldly goals. Read
what Apostle Paul said by
the Holy Ghost to the
believers at Corinth,
“And every man that striveth
for the mastery is temperate
in all things. Now they do
it to obtain a corruptible
crown; but we an
incorruptible. I therefore
so run, not as uncertainly;
so fight I, not as one that
beateth the air: But I keep
under my body, and bring it
into subjection: lest that
by any means, when I have
preached to others, I myself
should be a castaway”
(I Corinthians 9:25-27). The
picture of discipline in
that Christian mastery is
breathtaking.
The Holy Spirit is speaking
the language of self-control
and selflessness towards the
Christian life.
“Striveth for the mastery”
are words of passion to a
soul that can dream. The
dream here is of surrender
and devotion to Jesus Christ
and the incorruptible crown
that a saint of God can
obtain. The key words are
“temperate in all things”
or self-control. No one can
discipline your heart and
mind but you. Incarcerated
prisoners can be forced to
be disciplined through fear
and intimidation; but, after
a few hours on the street,
they are wild again.
King Saul was heads and
shoulders above his
fellowmen. The Father chose
him to be the first king of
His people,
The Bible never hid the
failures of many potential
success stories. The elder
son of Adam and Eve followed
in the path of his mother
and refused to offer a
Biblical sacrifice and
became a vagabond. Esau, the
elder son of Isaac, was
crass and wild. Today, his
heirs are the Islamic
terrorists. David, who
became a
“man after God’s own heart,”
brought shame on his life
that never ended, even in
his greatness. Judas
Iscariot could have had his
name on one of the
foundations of New
Jerusalem, but
“by transgressions fell”
(Acts 1:25). Every failure
was the result of an
undisciplined life. They
never lacked in opportunity
but they lacked
self-control.
When I was saved in 1952,
there was great pulpit
mastery all over
But, all is not lost. The
human soul and mind can
still be so surrendered and
disciplined that Christ can
be revealed to this lost
generation. Your temple is a
marvelous, living machine.
Jesus Christ is challenging
the present saints to
“eat His flesh and drink His
blood” until Christ
is formed in your life. This
is a depth that only the
selfless and self-controlled
can experience. If you are
wild and a law unto
yourself, you are close to
being a castaway. Your train
wreck is right down the sad
road of self. The Holy Ghost
is calling out to the humble
souls that want the dreams
of our Master. Believe me,
there is no joy like the joy
of our whole life being
attuned to the deep life of
Christ. Like the
sharpshooter, when our
temple is all surrendered
and disciplined, the whole
life is disciplined in the
love of His will.
Joseph R. Chambers